About the Author

Sonya Renee Taylor is the Founder and Radical Executive Officer of
The Body is Not An Apology, an international movement and
organization committed to radical self-love and body empowerment as
the foundational tool for social justice and global transformation.
Sonya's work as an award winning Performance Poet, Activist, and
transformational leader continues to have global reach. Sonya is a
former National and International poetry slam champion, author,
educator and activist who has mesmerized audiences across the US,
New Zealand, Australia, Germany, England, Scotland, Sweden, Canada
and the Netherlands as well as in prisons, mental health treatment
facilities, homeless shelters, universities, festivals and public
schools across the globe.

Reviews

"Poet and activist Taylor (A Little Truth on Your Shirt)
packs important ideas into this concise volume on body empowerment.
"Radical self-love is not a destination you are trying to get to;
it is who you already are," she counsels...The author's sensible
and empathetic tone will lend comfort to readers and help them to
see that no matter what their body type, they are beautiful."
-Publishers Weekly

"'Survival is damn hard, ' Sonya Renee Taylor says in the
introduction to her marvelous new book, The Body Is Not an
Apology. A writer, poet, educator, and performer, Taylor brings
the message that self-sacrifice and self-flagellation keep us from
our highest good. Her manifesto on radical self-love is life
altering--required reading for anyone who struggles with body
image."
-Claire Foster, Foreword Review "What spiritual teachers like
Marianne Williamson refer to as natural intelligence, Taylor calls
"radical self-love". She has a way with action-packed words. When
others talk about negative body image, she responds with "the body
is not an apology". And she's written a whole book in response to
the question "How do we live our highest, most radically
unapologetic lives?"... Covering topics like Body-Shame Origin
Stories, Media Matters, Body Terrorism, Changing Hearts, and
Unapologetic Agreements, Taylor seeks to put the history,
politics, and solutions of this topic into a logical, organized,
and motivating format."
-Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight "From the moment I met Sonya
Renee, I knew my life, my world, and the way I view myself and
others around me would never be the same. The Body Is Not an
Apology is essential reading for those of us who crave
understanding and those who are already on the path to learning how
beautiful and complex our bodies are. It will empower you with the
tools to navigate a world that is often unkind to those of us who
whether by choice or design don't adhere to society's standard of
beauty. Her words will echo in your heart, soul, and body just as
they have in mine."
---Tess Holiday, Plus Model, Author & Founder of Eff Your Beauty
Standards "The Body Is Not an Apology is a gift, a blessing,
a prayer, a reminder, a sacred text. In it, Taylor invites us to
live in a world where different bodies are seen, affirmed,
celebrated, and just. Taylor invites us to break up with shame, to
deepen our literacy, and to liberate our practice of celebrating
every body and never apologizing for this body that is mine and
takes care of me so well. This book cracked me open in ways that
I'm so grateful for. I know it will do the same for you."
--Alicia Garza, cocreator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network
and Strategy + Partnerships Director, National Domestic Workers
Alliance "The Body Is Not an Apology is a radical, merciful,
transformational book that will give you deep insights,
inspiration, and concrete tools for launching the revolution right
inside your own beloved body. Written from deep experience, with a
force of catalytic energy and so much love."
--Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues and In the Body of
the World "In 2017, #thefirsttimeisawmyself was a trending hashtag
and Netflix campaign. As a disabled woman, #thefirsttimeireadmyself
may well have been this book. Thank you, Sonya. Bought two copies,
one for me and one for my daughter."
--Rebecca Cokely, Senior Fellow for Disability Policy, Center for
American Progress, disability rights activist, and mom

"Sonya Renee Taylor is a treasure that this world simply does not
deserve. The Body Is Not an Apology is the gift of radical
love the world needs! We are all better off because of her
presence, talent, compassion, and authentic work. Thank you, Sonya,
for all that you do."
--Jes Baker, aka The Militant Baker, author of Things No One Will
Tell Fat Girls "In these times, when the search for answers to the
mounting injustices in our world seems to confound us, Sonya Renee
Taylor offers a simple but powerful place to begin: recovering our
relationship with our own bodies. To build a world that works for
everyone, we must first make the radical decision to love every
facet of ourselves. Through lucid and courageous self-revelation,
Taylor shows us how to realize the revolutionary potential of
self-love. The body is not an apology' is the mantra we should all
embrace."
--Kimberle Crenshaw, legal scholar and founder and Executive
Director, African American Policy Forum